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| It’s ‘People, People, People’ as Lines Stretch Across America | It’s ‘People, People, People’ as Lines Stretch Across America |
| (7 days later) | |
| DENVER — Standing in line used to be an American pastime, whether it was lining up for Broadway shows, camping outside movie theaters before a Star Wars premiere or shivering outside big-box stores to be the first inside on Black Friday. | DENVER — Standing in line used to be an American pastime, whether it was lining up for Broadway shows, camping outside movie theaters before a Star Wars premiere or shivering outside big-box stores to be the first inside on Black Friday. |
| The coronavirus has changed all that. Now, millions of people across the country are risking their health to wait in tense, sometimes desperate, new lines for basic needs as the economic toll of the virus grips the country. | The coronavirus has changed all that. Now, millions of people across the country are risking their health to wait in tense, sometimes desperate, new lines for basic needs as the economic toll of the virus grips the country. |
| In cars and on foot, they are snapping on masks and waiting for hours to stock up on groceries, file for unemployment assistance, cast their ballots and pick up boxes of donated food. The lines stretch around blocks and clog two-lane highways. | In cars and on foot, they are snapping on masks and waiting for hours to stock up on groceries, file for unemployment assistance, cast their ballots and pick up boxes of donated food. The lines stretch around blocks and clog two-lane highways. |
| In western Pennsylvania, cars stacked up for miles on Monday as hundreds of people waited to collect a week’s worth of groceries from the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. | In western Pennsylvania, cars stacked up for miles on Monday as hundreds of people waited to collect a week’s worth of groceries from the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. |
| Outside Miami, some of the 16 million Americans who have lost their jobs over the past few weeks snaked around a library on Tuesday, waiting to pick up a paper application for unemployment benefits. | Outside Miami, some of the 16 million Americans who have lost their jobs over the past few weeks snaked around a library on Tuesday, waiting to pick up a paper application for unemployment benefits. |
| And in Milwaukee, Catherine Graham, who has a bad heart and asthma, slapped on a homemade face mask and left her apartment on Tuesday for the first time since early March to spend two hours waiting in line to vote at one of the five polling locations in the city that remained open for the Wisconsin primary election. | And in Milwaukee, Catherine Graham, who has a bad heart and asthma, slapped on a homemade face mask and left her apartment on Tuesday for the first time since early March to spend two hours waiting in line to vote at one of the five polling locations in the city that remained open for the Wisconsin primary election. |
| “It was people, people, people,” Ms. Graham, 78, said. “I was afraid.” | “It was people, people, people,” Ms. Graham, 78, said. “I was afraid.” |
| One resident of Ms. Graham’s senior-apartment complex has already died of the coronavirus, and Ms. Graham said she nearly turned back when she saw the line. But, determined to vote, she perched on her walker as the line inched ahead and prayed with her daughter, asking God to keep them safe. Every day since, she has been scrutinizing her blood pressure, oxygen levels and other vital signs on a home machine. | One resident of Ms. Graham’s senior-apartment complex has already died of the coronavirus, and Ms. Graham said she nearly turned back when she saw the line. But, determined to vote, she perched on her walker as the line inched ahead and prayed with her daughter, asking God to keep them safe. Every day since, she has been scrutinizing her blood pressure, oxygen levels and other vital signs on a home machine. |
| The scenes are especially jarring at a moment when freeways are empty and city centers are deserted, and public-health experts are urging people to slow the transmission of the coronavirus by avoiding each other. | The scenes are especially jarring at a moment when freeways are empty and city centers are deserted, and public-health experts are urging people to slow the transmission of the coronavirus by avoiding each other. |
| “It’s worrisome,” said Carl Bergstrom, a biologist at the University of Washington who studies pandemics. “It’s setting up unnecessary opportunities for transmission.” | “It’s worrisome,” said Carl Bergstrom, a biologist at the University of Washington who studies pandemics. “It’s setting up unnecessary opportunities for transmission.” |
| Even as supermarkets line up shoppers outside and put stickers six feet apart on their floors marking where customers should wait to check out, some scientists and policy experts warn that businesses and government agencies are still not doing enough to keep people apart in public, or to prevent them from having to line up altogether. | Even as supermarkets line up shoppers outside and put stickers six feet apart on their floors marking where customers should wait to check out, some scientists and policy experts warn that businesses and government agencies are still not doing enough to keep people apart in public, or to prevent them from having to line up altogether. |
| Jeremy Konyndyk, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, was aghast when he saw travelers crammed into chaotic immigration and customs lines last month to get back into the United States after President Trump announced new travel restrictions. Those images showed the danger of lines — how jamming hundreds of people together in confined spaces could undo weeks of careful social distancing, he said. | Jeremy Konyndyk, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, was aghast when he saw travelers crammed into chaotic immigration and customs lines last month to get back into the United States after President Trump announced new travel restrictions. Those images showed the danger of lines — how jamming hundreds of people together in confined spaces could undo weeks of careful social distancing, he said. |
| “It’s a nightmare,” he said. “What was intended as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus instead became a huge super-spreading opportunity.” | “It’s a nightmare,” he said. “What was intended as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus instead became a huge super-spreading opportunity.” |
| In Milwaukee, Jennifer Taff, 38, said Tuesday’s election had been needlessly forced to go ahead during a pandemic. As she stood in line for two and a half hours, masked up and holding a cardboard sign saying, “This is Ridiculous,” Ms. Taff said she worried that the older people beside her were risking their health to vote. | In Milwaukee, Jennifer Taff, 38, said Tuesday’s election had been needlessly forced to go ahead during a pandemic. As she stood in line for two and a half hours, masked up and holding a cardboard sign saying, “This is Ridiculous,” Ms. Taff said she worried that the older people beside her were risking their health to vote. |
| “This lovely woman coughing behind me should have been home in bed, being taken care of,” Ms. Taff said. “It’s totally playing politics with our lives.” | “This lovely woman coughing behind me should have been home in bed, being taken care of,” Ms. Taff said. “It’s totally playing politics with our lives.” |
| In normal times, the unwritten rules of standing in line are clear, said David Gibson, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame who has studied line behavior: Don’t cut. Don’t stand creepily close. Keep it moving. | In normal times, the unwritten rules of standing in line are clear, said David Gibson, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame who has studied line behavior: Don’t cut. Don’t stand creepily close. Keep it moving. |
| But Mr. Gibson said little about lines is clear anymore. Is six feet of distance really enough to avoid infection? What is the best way to face? Should lines be first-come-first-serve, or should older, more vulnerable people be allowed to skip ahead — which is now the policy at some grocery stores? | But Mr. Gibson said little about lines is clear anymore. Is six feet of distance really enough to avoid infection? What is the best way to face? Should lines be first-come-first-serve, or should older, more vulnerable people be allowed to skip ahead — which is now the policy at some grocery stores? |
| “It’s not Lord of the Flies yet,” Mr. Gibson said. “We haven’t dispensed with etiquette and rules and procedures.” | “It’s not Lord of the Flies yet,” Mr. Gibson said. “We haven’t dispensed with etiquette and rules and procedures.” |
| But some lines ripple with anxiety, as people rise at dawn and make a calculated gamble about setting their health against fulfilling some need sharpened by the disruptions and anxiety of the pandemic. | But some lines ripple with anxiety, as people rise at dawn and make a calculated gamble about setting their health against fulfilling some need sharpened by the disruptions and anxiety of the pandemic. |
| Dozens of shoppers lined up outside a suburban Denver grocery store for toilet paper one morning. When New Jersey and Colorado offered drive-up testing for the coronavirus, miles of cars swamped the sites. With schools closed, parents in Portland waited for hours to get tablet computers so their children could still connect with their classes. | Dozens of shoppers lined up outside a suburban Denver grocery store for toilet paper one morning. When New Jersey and Colorado offered drive-up testing for the coronavirus, miles of cars swamped the sites. With schools closed, parents in Portland waited for hours to get tablet computers so their children could still connect with their classes. |
| In many cities, lines outside food pantries have become glaring symbols of financial precarity, showing how quickly the pandemic has devastated working people’s finances. | In many cities, lines outside food pantries have become glaring symbols of financial precarity, showing how quickly the pandemic has devastated working people’s finances. |
| Updated June 30, 2020 | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| In San Antonio, 10,000 families began arriving before dawn on Thursday at a now-shuttered swap meet hall to receive boxes of food. Normally, 200 to 400 families might show up during a normal food distribution. | In San Antonio, 10,000 families began arriving before dawn on Thursday at a now-shuttered swap meet hall to receive boxes of food. Normally, 200 to 400 families might show up during a normal food distribution. |
| “It’s a wave of need,” said Eric Cooper, president of the San Antonio Food Bank. “They were all let go. There’s no savings. There’s no slack in their household budget. The money’s run out. It just shows how desperate people are.” | “It’s a wave of need,” said Eric Cooper, president of the San Antonio Food Bank. “They were all let go. There’s no savings. There’s no slack in their household budget. The money’s run out. It just shows how desperate people are.” |
| Most drove up, filling the parking lot with a deluge of cars, leaving the windows down when the air conditioning didn’t work. They poked their heads out of the windows and climbed out of their cars as the line inched ahead. Others had no cars and arrived on the bus or were dropped off by rideshares, and walked in to meet volunteers in masks and gloves. | Most drove up, filling the parking lot with a deluge of cars, leaving the windows down when the air conditioning didn’t work. They poked their heads out of the windows and climbed out of their cars as the line inched ahead. Others had no cars and arrived on the bus or were dropped off by rideshares, and walked in to meet volunteers in masks and gloves. |
| There were families with little children laid off from amusement parks, housekeeping jobs and restaurants. There were citizens too scared of contracting the coronavirus to visit the supermarkets and unable to afford grocery-delivery services. One mother tried to keep her kids busy with snacks and games as they waited for one of the boxes holding chicken, rice and beans, milk and fruits and vegetables. | There were families with little children laid off from amusement parks, housekeeping jobs and restaurants. There were citizens too scared of contracting the coronavirus to visit the supermarkets and unable to afford grocery-delivery services. One mother tried to keep her kids busy with snacks and games as they waited for one of the boxes holding chicken, rice and beans, milk and fruits and vegetables. |
| Outside of Pittsburgh, Danielle Small pulled up 90 minutes early to a food distribution, but found two long rows of cars already ahead of her. Money was getting tight after her boyfriend had to take a pay cut, and she decided to make her first trip to a food bank this week. | Outside of Pittsburgh, Danielle Small pulled up 90 minutes early to a food distribution, but found two long rows of cars already ahead of her. Money was getting tight after her boyfriend had to take a pay cut, and she decided to make her first trip to a food bank this week. |
| She said the line moved efficiently as cars pulled ahead in clusters of 10. After Ms. Small, 32, received a box filled with chicken fajita strips, preserved peaches, fruit, nuts and juice, she mouthed, “Thank you,” to the volunteers and drove away. | She said the line moved efficiently as cars pulled ahead in clusters of 10. After Ms. Small, 32, received a box filled with chicken fajita strips, preserved peaches, fruit, nuts and juice, she mouthed, “Thank you,” to the volunteers and drove away. |